07/06/2026
๐ SHRC MOTO โ BRITISH SUPERMOTO ROUND 3 โ ROWRAH ๐
Rowrah never disappoints. Tight, technical, unforgiving and always guaranteed to produce great racing. Round 3 brought highs, lows, mechanical dramas, crashes, personal bests and plenty of smiles throughout the paddock.
Kaycie Hillier made her racing debut this weekend. Having never raced before, she took to the track with confidence and determination. Despite being one of the youngest riders on circuit, she wasnโt fazed by riders old enough to be her grandad coming through to lap her.
Every session saw improvement, with Kaycie building confidence, learning racecraft and steadily increasing her pace. By the end of the weekend she had taken an incredible 10 seconds off her lap time and was already asking when she could get back on track. A fantastic first meeting and a rider who is already looking forward to Round 4 at Crail.
Jenson Knowles once again showed exactly why he is becoming one of the riders to watch. Determined to prove that overtaking at Rowrah is possible, he attacked every lap with his usual commitment and aggression.
Saturday unfortunately ended early following a big crash, but rather than letting it knock his confidence, Jenson spent the rest of the day studying the competition and preparing for Sunday.
Sunday started strongly with excellent pace from the outset. Race 2 looked promising until disaster struck with a snapped chain that punched a hole through the engine casing. Most teams would have packed up and called it a day, but with some chemical metal, patience and a lot of determination, the bike was repaired and back on the grid.
Race 3 was nothing short of spectacular. Starting from the back, Jenson charged through the field to reach 3rd place. Pushing to the absolute limit, he made a brave move at Start Corner only to tuck the front while attempting the pass. Picking himself up and carrying on, he still managed to record the fastest lap of the group, finishing the weekend just five seconds away from the Elite class fastest lap time. Another huge step forward and more proof of the talent this young rider possesses.
With Ade Deeley and Steve Smith unavailable this round, and definitely missed, Dean Hillier was the sole adult rider representing SHRC Moto.
Saturdayโs NORA Championship races doubled as a valuable tyre and setup test day. Unfortunately, a sticking front brake master cylinder caused problems throughout practice and Race 1. Race 2 showed improvement, but a replacement master cylinder developed a leak around the bleed ni**le, causing brake fade during the race.
By Race 3 the issues were manageable, allowing Dean to get stuck into some proper elbows-out supermoto racing. After plenty of bar-banging and close battles on the opening lap, he finished 13th overall, recording lap times comparable with much of the field around him.
Sunday brought the British Championship races and the perfect opportunity to compare tyre performance under similar conditions.
Traditionally we run Michelin tyres, but for this event we switched to Metzeler for comparison against the King Tyres used the previous day.
The results surprised us.
Race after race produced Top 10 finishes, with lap times virtually identical between the two brands. By the end of the final race, the Metzeler held only around a one-second advantage over the King tyre.
๐ฅ Weโd also like to give a big shout-out to King Tyres. After a full weekend of testing at Rowrah, they proved they can run with the best. With lap times finishing within a second of our usual race tyre and costing around 50% less, they offer incredible value without sacrificing performance. If youโre looking to race hard without emptying your wallet, King Tyres are well worth a look. ๐๐
Overall, Rowrah was another successful weekend for the team. New riders gaining confidence, young talent continuing to impress, valuable testing completed and plenty of lessons learned heading into the next round.
Next up is Crail, with a staggering 1,200-mile round trip ahead of us.
Weโre also looking for a rider at the sharp end of the B Group or within the A Group who would like to run a set of King Tyres FREE OF CHARGE at Crail and provide honest feedback. If that sounds like you, send us a message.
Finally, a huge thank you to all of our sponsors, supporters, families, mechanics and everyone who helps keep the wheels turning:
Crescent Motorcycles
SC Sporthomes
King Tyre UK
Rhino Goo
Cranked Up Racing
Road and Race Performance
Cambrian Tyres
SMX Racing
Marcus Horwood photography
Without your support, none of this would be possible.
See you all in Scotland. ๐ฌ๐ง๐
